Notoriously Tactical
by katchfish
Summary: Even without an Ace to lead their army, the kingdom of Clubs has managed to stay strong throughout history. With war fast approaching, Clubs may find they can't survive without one. When Lukas, Mage of Clubs, is given the task of finding a suitable Ace, will an in-debt farm boy help Lukas with his task? Or will he turn out to be just the man Clubs is searching for?
1. Unexpected Arrival

**I'm sorry guys, I planned to post this sooner but crashed... Anyways I worked really hard on this and I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter One

Throwing dignity to the wind, Lukas Bondevick raced into the courtroom, startling the occupants as they gasped uneasily at the intrusion. The Mage of Clubs allowed himself precious seconds to catch his breath before jogging the last couple feet to the base of the king's throne. The King of Clubs, Ivan Braginsky, frowned as he caught sight of the blood irregularly splattered on the Mage's clothing and skin.

Earlier in the morning, Ivan had sent Lukas and his battalion to a small town on the outskirts of his domain, resting on the border between Spades and Clubs. His agents had caught wind of Spadian mischief, and worried for the security of the town Ivan allowed the Mage and some troops to travel to the border and keep the peace. He had foreseen a small skirmish with few casualties but was unprepared for the severe and harried attitude Lukas was bearing.

Now thoroughly composed, Lukas cleared his throat in order to attract the attention of the King. Ivan shook his head to clear his troubled thoughts and drew his gaze to the man who stood before him. "Sir, we've been overrun. The town was ambushed in the middle of the night and we were outnumbered by far. I'm afraid the town has been captured." The king's brow creased and he opened his mouth to reply, but was cut of as the Mage continued in his report. "That's not all. The soldiers from Spades weren't alone… men from Diamonds were present as well."

The entire room broke into panicked whispering as Lukas relayed the horrific news to the King and his court. The Mage searched Ivan's face for any sign of emotion other than his expression of deep thought. Finding nothing, he then surveyed the room with disinterest, faces filled with panic and horror were something he saw everyday. Lukas' face morphed into one of the upmost disgust. If the court were becoming this frantic over mere words then what would happen if the Mage took them out onto a battlefield? The thought of the pompous snobs attempting to wield a sword made him smirk, lifting his mood just the tiniest fraction.

Lukas was promptly jolted out of his thoughts as King Ivan slammed his hand on the arm of his chair, silencing the hysterical courtroom. "This meeting is adjourned. Leave this room, I need to speak to my Mage in private." The court filed out as their conversations turned from the captured town to the delicious assortment of foods waiting for them downstairs. Lukas turned his nose upward in abhorrence toward's the court's mindset. He grabbed one of the vacant chairs and dragged it towards the King, groaning as his sore body made contact with the sturdy wood. He waited patiently as Ivan walked over to the numerous bookshelves and delicately selected a book from the upmost shelf. He then returned to his throne, carefully turning the yellowing pages until he reached the middle of the book. Lukas watched as the King pulled a molded and compact scroll from inside the book. His weary features gave way to shock as he noted the scrolls appearance and the small date etched on the back.

With wide eyes, Lukas scanned the date, looking for an error in the writing. If he wasn't mistaken, that scroll was written 1,000 years ago. He glanced up, violet meeting violet, hoping that this was something deriving from the King's twisted sense of humor. Regrettably, Ivan's eyes were hard as stone, jaw set like a steel trap. "Lukas, what you have told me about the loss of the town is grave news but I'm afraid its downfall is part of something bigger. Normally I would send you back with more troops… but this is a fight we cannot win."

Lukas' gaze slowly drew upward as he took in what King Ivan was saying. No chance to win? How? It was a small town, not an entire kingdom… taking back the town should be easy! With the proper amount of troops Lukas could—

"I have been suspecting this for a while, but now that it has been confirmed as the war in the prophecy…"

Lukas' mind flew to a screeching halt. Prophecy?! It wasn't unheard of for kingdoms to receive minor prophecies but for one as serious as a war 1,000 years in the making?! That kind of severity was unheard of, even for a magic wielder such as himself.

King Ivan sighed wearily as he began to unravel the crumbling parchment with the air of a soldier who has seen enough death for 20 men. The Mage watched anxiously as Ivan paused in his unrolling, narrowing his eyes as the King gradually held the scroll out to him. Lukas hesitantly took it, cradling it carefully as Ivan began talking. "I've read this thing more times than I can count. Besides, this concerns you more than I." The Mage glanced up to study the King's face before deftly unrolling the parchment at the wave of the King's hand. He smoothed out the paper, careful to avoid any small tears and began to read aloud.

 _1,000 years from when this prophecy is dealt,_

 _Wrath and ruin all around will be felt_

 _Brought to its knees, surroundings full of despair_

 _The kingdom on the brink, far past the point of repair_

 _Children orphaned, families parted_

 _Losses grew worse since the Tri-Kingdom War started_

 _A savior must be found from the kingdom of Spades_

 _With blond hair and blue eyes, able to wield a blade_

 _No wealth or inheritance does this man own_

 _He lives in a rural area, far away from the throne_

 _Finding this man will be trying and hard_

 _For he has no idea he is a Clubs card_

 _He can lead the kingdom to victory if only he is found_

 _If no one can find him, it's Clubs destiny to burn down_

 _This is the fate of clubs during the three suit fight_

 _Unless the great king realizes his developing plight_

 _For Clubs has always been the strongest race_

 _Not for long if it goes any longer without an Ace_

Lukas scanned the delicate parchment twice more before letting out a quiet laugh. The King, started and frowned, displeased that one dared laugh at such a dire time. "With all due respect sir, but is this a joke? We already have an Ace, Berwald. You appointed him seven years ago."

Berwald Oxenstierna, Ace of Clubs, had served his kingdom proudly for several years. He completed his job with the upmost dignity, commanding the Clubs army with pride. The job of an Ace was to direct and lead troops into battle and be a useful advisor to the King in terms of military tactics, which Berwald executed flawlessly. In the court's eyes, there was no one better suited for the job.

King Ivan sighed and raked a hand through his silvery hair. "Berwald is not the real Ace. He is a place holder, just doing his job until the actual Ace is found. _If_ the actual Ace is found."

"How do you know?" Lukas challenged. He understood the King's claim, but could he prove it?

"Before his coronation, I made it very clear to him that he wasn't the real Ace. I chose Berwald for his military prowess, not by the mark as it should be. Have you ever asked to see Berwald's tattoo?"

Lukas' vigor died as he came across the realization that Ivan was right. Each member of the deck came with a tattoo, one that showed your position in Clubs. Now that he thought about it, the Mage had never seen even a smidgen of ink on Berwald's skin, much less hear about him talk about a tattoo. He heaved a resigned sigh and nodded his head grudgingly.

That matter aside, why was King Ivan telling him about this? Mulling over the words in his head, Lukas voiced his question and began to examine his nails, patiently waited for an answer.

"Well who else is capable of finding the Ace?" Lukas promptly dropped his hand and stared at the King.

"I have responsibilities to complete!"

"Already taken care of."

"What about my duties as a Mage?!"

"Clubs can survive without you for a couple months."

"But the soldiers are counting on me—"

Lukas froze mid-sentence as Ivan held up his hand for silence. The King composed himself, clearing his throat and once again combing a hand through his hair in an exasperated gesture. "Frankly Lukas, you don't have a choice. You're going to find the Ace and that's final."

The Mage barely refrained from snarling, opting to push down his anger before he said or did something rash. Instead of shouting, he began to compile a mental list of the necessities he would need to bring. He would need to gather provisions, weaponry, some kind of cloak to hide his face considering Spades is an enemy kingdom, and other essentials before he could even think about leaving. Speaking of which… "When should I leave?"

The King's response was immediate, signifying the importance of the journey ahead. "As soon as you possible can. Start packing now and head out right after." Lukas nodded and stood up, walking briskly to the door. He stuck out his am, wrenching the heavy door open and strode out. "Oh, and Lukas?" The Mage paused, one hand still on the door handle as he turned to face the King.

"Don't get caught."

* * *

Lukas jolted as his horse stumbled on the uneven terrain for the umpteenth time since he had departed. Spades territory was vastly different from Clubs, filled with forests and hills instead of a great expanse of frozen tundra. It had been some time since the Mage had crossed the border and nothing even remotely interesting had occurred. It was almost too silent, as if the trees were holding their breaths, waiting for something bad to happen.

After an hour or so, Lukas glimpsed a cluster of lights out of the corner of his eye. He immediately directed his horse towards the light, mentally assuming he had happened across a town. Nearing the object of his distraction, the Mage allowed himself a short moment of smug satisfaction as the telltale sounds of a village invaded his ears. Eager to rest after an exhausting day of riding, he urged his horse on, only allowing it to slow when he was within ten feet of the town entrance.

Lukas yanked on the reins of his horse, stopping short of the gates that loomed above him ominously. After a few short seconds three men emerged from behind the gate, pacing forward until they were directly in front of the Mage. Lukas dismounted, glad to see at least one of the men was shorter than he was.

"Evening, stranger. What business brings ya to this fine town o' mine?" The shorter man spoke with false politeness, mistrust radiating off of him in waves. Lukas discreetly tugged the hood over his face in order to further veil his features.

"My name is Nickolas Eriksen. All I want is a warm bed and food." The Mage cringed internally as the short man's leer grew into a malicious grin.

"Well _Nickolas,_ care to take off ya hood? So we know ya ain't concealing dangerous weapon, o' course."

Lukas shifted, eyeing the taller men that flanked the one he was conversing with. "That shouldn't be necessary." Instantaneously the taller men, now obviously revealed as guards, strode forward and each grabbed one of Lukas' arms before he had any time to react. The short man sneered and sauntered forward, stretching a hand towards the Mage's cloak.

"Oh, I think it will be." Before Lukas could utter a spell or curse, the man unclasped his hood, revealing the numerous Club weapons and travel supplies that lined his belt. His garb and the Clubs trademark light colored hair were in plain sight, causing the Mage to grumble in annoyance. The man's malevolent features morphed into one of shock and horror. "Y-Y-You—" The man had only just begun his sentence before Lukas interrupted by smashing his knee into the man's nose. He howled, writhing on the ground while the Mage prompt jumped into action.

Lukas wasn't stupid, if he used magic then the whole mission was compromised. No one could no he was one of the treasured mages of the Club kingdom, let alone the most powerful and influential. While the guards were still frozen, the Mage lifted his leg and kicked the guard on the left in the gut, sending him sprawling on the ground gasping for air. He then used his newly freed limb to grab the other guard and twist his own arm until he heard the harsh pop of dislocating bones. The guard screamed, collapsing onto his knees and cradled his limp and bleeding arm.

The Mage vaulted onto his horse, using his easily earned time to escape into the forrest. He firmly pushed the heels of his feet further into his horse's flank, urging it to run faster. Loyal as it was, Lukas had pushed the horse to it limits, and after thirty minutes of muscle-cramping galloping it slowed to a halt, heaving in great gulps of air as its entire body shuddered in exhaustion.

Lukas dismounted, patting the horse gently as a gesture of gratitude. He took hold of the reins and began to lead the weary horse through the forrest, allowing it to stop by a trickling stream to drink. They continued on, stumbling over tree roots and branches underfoot. At last Lukas emerged from the woods, stopping to stroke his horse and survey his surroundings.

They appeared to be in a field, not fifty feet from a small farmhouse. The Mage studied the exterior, deeming it safe to be near. The house was illuminated, signifying that there was someone present in the household. Since he was positive news of his arrival hadn't spread this far, the Mage sucked in a deep breath and strode up to the porch and knocked firmly on the door. After a minute of silence, Lukas was ready to leave the house alone but before he could turn away, the sound of a door latch could be heard. The Mage stared blankly as the door swung inward, giving way to a towering blond man.

* * *

Unaware of the man surveying his small Spadian home, Mathias paced across the living room floor, biting his nails and clenching his fists in a nervous tick. He thought back to the cause of his angst, thirty minutes prior to his restless pacing.

 _"_ _Listen up Kohler! I will be back tomorrow and if you don't have my money…" The thug cracked his knuckles menacingly and shoved the fumbling Dane to the floor. "If you don't have my money, you're paying with your life." With a final scowl, the man spun around and stomped out the door, only pausing to signal his two lackeys of their departure._

 _Mathias pushed himself of the worn and dirtied floor with a sigh, already aware of his hopeless situation. Garrett, the man he owed money to, had purposely decided to come back tomorrow, knowing full well that Mathias wouldn't have the money. There was no use running either, Garrett had friends across all the kingdoms that were all willing to cary out his bidding. Whether he enjoyed picking on the poor or just flat out killing people, Mathias would never know nor care to find out._

A loud pounding shook the Dane out of his troublesome thoughts and he whipped around with a start. Mathias knew of no one who would visit him at this hour in the night, unless Garrett had gotten impatient and wanted to finish the job early. He agitatedly ran a hand through his hair and stared at the door, trying to decide whether to answer the knocking or not.

Eventually curiosity out-weighed precaution, and before he could regret his decision, Mathias placed his hand on the handle and wrenched it backward. The door swung open and Mathias found himself face to face with startlingly violet eyes.

* * *

 **I really hope this wasn't too bad. I'm begging you, please review. Without reviews I lose motivation and inspiration to continue! I'm being serious about that, it wasn't just a plea.**


	2. Return of an Enemy

Chapter Two

Lukas blinked at the disheveled appearance of the man looming above him. They stared wordlessly at each other before the taller blond started, shaking his head and muttering about uninvited guests. The Norwegian tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for the Spadian to right himself. "Um, hi… I don't owe you money, do I?"

Lukas shifted, put off by the unconventional sentence he had been greeted with. "Uh, no. I'm just looking for a place to stay for the night before I continue with my travel." The blond man shifted slightly and shot the Norwegian a wary glance, still not budging from his position baring the doorway. He radiated mistrust, instigating Lukas to elaborate on his detailed and thorough backstory. "My name is Lukas, of the kingdom Hearts. I have a horse and a few empty travel bags. No weapons, I swear.." After seeing the taller man's blank look Lukas began to panic, worried his explanation hadn't been plausible enough. The Mage fidgeted uncomfortably, unable to accurately gauge the blond's reaction.

"Oh—um, hi there. My name is Mathias Kohler. Come in, I guess." Mathias shuffled backwards, inviting Lukas into his household with a sweeping gesture. "Sorry it's so messy, I don't usually have visitors. Ever."

Lukas brushed off the apology with a nod, opting instead to survey the cramped house with a gaze that soon turned guilty and sympathetic. The war was clearly taking a toll on all kingdoms, not just Clubs. When massive financial projects like wars needed funding, the hierarchy put great pressure on the common folk to provide the money necessary to fund the war. Systems like those include heightened taxes and drafting of the several chosen, unlucky men.

The mage schooled his expression as he followed Mathias onto the premise, carefully setting his minimal luggage by the door. He gazed at the taller man's back, intrigued to as why he had appeared so ruffled when they had first met. There had been a haunted gleam in Mathias' eyes that was never present in a man when his entire life was farming. Something bad had happened minutes before Lukas had arrived, he was sure of it.

Lukas was so absorbed in his thoughts that he never noticed the Spadian halt until if was to late to avoid collision. He stumbled back, mustering up a glare to match Mathias' scowling face. "Listen, I'm not really one for inviting strangers into my house, and frankly, I don't trust you. The only reason I'm allowing this is because there is nothing of worth here you would possibly want to steal. If you're here to kill me, good luck with that."

The mage barely refrained from rolling his eyes as he thought of revealing to the aggressive man who he really was. If only Mathias knew he was the strongest magic wielder in the kingdom of Clubs then he wouldn't be acting so volatile then, would he?

Lukas nodded, putting his acting skills to use by morphing his expression into one of mock hurt and innocence. " I'm not a bad person, I'm not going to steal your stuff, and I am not going to kill you." As if as an afterthought, he added, "I swear."

Mathias furrowed his brow, clearly deciding if he should rethink his original decision to allow Lukas into his house. After several seconds of awkward silence he grunted, and to Lukas' relief, plodded into his compact kitchen while gesturing for Lukas to follow. "So Lukas, why is a Hearts citizen like you traveling through Spades?"

Lukas' heart stopped as his mind frantically whirred to come up with a logical explanation. "F-Family." The mage internally groaned at the abrupt tone he hadn't managed to hide when he had blurted out his excuse. While mentally cursing himself, Lukas barely caught the inquisitive stare Mathias had directed his way. "My brother," he rushed to cover up, "My brother moved to Spades with my dad when we were little. I'm on my way to visit them."

The tall Spadian nodded in understanding, the corners of his mouth quirking up as if in remembrance of an old memory. Acting upon his curiosity, Lukas risked the biting harshness of bringing up a touching subject. "Do you have a brother too?"

Mathias' foggy gaze slowly cleared as he mulled over the question that had been posed to him. Lukas waited impatiently for an answer, tapping his foot softly on the dirty floor. "As a matter of fact, I did. My brother and I grew up in a different kingdom, one other than Spades." As if sensing Lukas' interest in the subject, he grinned a bit and added, "No, I don't know which kingdom it was, I can't remember."

Mathias continued after a seconds pause. "Anyways, we lived on the streets together, fighting our way through life together as brothers should, ya know? Until around… 15 years old when we got into a massive fight. It ended up with my brother and I parting ways. I somehow made my way to good ol' Spades and I've lived here ever since."

Lukas hastily nodded, feeling as if he had intruded on something private. He wracked his brain for a different topic, something to clear the air of it's apprehensive and tense atmosphere. "Oh, well, I'm sorry to hear that." Mathias absentmindedly grunted in response, returning to blankly staring at the opposing wall.

As if struck by a sudden bolt of inspiration, the image of the prophecy popped into the mage's mind like godsend. If the prophecy was really as old as King Ivan claimed then it was plausible to believe word of it had spread around… maybe he could use knowledge of its existence as a key factor in finding the Ace.

"Hey Mathias…"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever heard of a prophecy from Clubs?" Mathias blinked and gaped open-mouthed at Lukas for several long minutes. The Mage had to physically force himself not to glance away from the emotionless stare he was being subjected to.

All at the same time, Mathias burst out into raucous howling, clutching at the table before promptly tumbling headlong into a heap on the dirt encrusted floor. Lukas scowled as the obnoxious laughter continued far longer than he preferred. At one point the taller man had attempted to stand, wiping tears out of his eyes. Just one glance at the sour look on the seated man's face sent him keeling over once again.

After Mathias had successfully stood up without collapsing, still grinning he started questioning the smaller man. "I thought you were joking, you actually believe in that stuff?"

Lukas sneered and looked away, barely holding back the embarrassed blush that was already semi-prominent on his face. "Yes, I do."

Mathias recoiled, flinching at the confidence in Lukas' answer. He chewed his lip thoughtfully, opting to shrug instead of argue about beliefs. "Well, if that's what you believe in, okay."

The cramped house descended into uncomfortable silence, each man unsure of how to break it. Eventually Lukas figured it was safer to branch off an earlier conversation, backtracking to Mathias' story of his past. "Your brother, what was his name?"

Mathias twitched at the sensitive question, internally wincing as he was being forced to dig into memories he'd rather not relive. He quickly rearranged his face into one of passive pleasantry and cleared his throat so it would not catch. "His name is Berw—"

The sudden splintering of wood interrupted Mathias as the door was forced off it's hinges by none other than Garrett and his band of idiot thugs.

"Time's up, Kohler! I want my money, NOW!" Obviously intoxicated, Garrett shouted the last sentence, rattling the windows in their cheap and thin panes. His gang of minions crowded into the already restricted room, making the space seem even more constricted.

Mathias darted out of the chair, shifting his weight from foot to foot, gaze darting around the house for an escape. Lukas stood defensively to the side, masking his confusion with a well placed glare. "But I don't have it, you said you'd give me 24 hours!"

Garrett smirked and cracked his knuckles, chucking evilly as he responded. "Yeah, well I decided I've already waited long enough." He stalked forward, his gang only a step behind him. "Plus, I've been wanting to kill you for a while now."

Garrett launched himself forward, an impressive act when one considered his large mass and drunken state. He barreled into Mathias who was overall unprepared for the sudden and vicious attack.

The smack of Garrett's knuckles connecting with flesh echoed through the house, followed by a moan of pain. After a few seconds of struggle, the sound was doubled in audibility when Garrett was sent staggering back, blood gushing from his newly broken nose.

Mathias pushed himself off the floor while rubbing his bruised cheek with his equally bruised fist. Garrett shouted in anger as he cupped his nose, furiously signaling his thugs to advance and take them out. While most of them plodded towards Mathias, the remainder ran at Lukas who took them on easily, diverting half his attention to his taller companion without breaking pace.

Lukas ducked and avoided nearly every blow, the ones that landed only clipped their mark , much to his opponents' dismay, The mage retaliated, punching one square in the gut and sweeping the feet out from under another. If only he could use his magic, all of the thugs would be dead, albeit it was to knock them unconscious than risk having the whole kingdom know of the presence of an opposing mage.

A pained scream jolted Lukas away from his thoughts, and he rapidly whipped his head around to see a weakly straining Mathias pinned to the floor by four of Garrett's men. Each one had latched onto one of the blond's limbs, punching him in the gut when he attempted to throw them off.

To Lukas' horror, the trapped man's struggling was growing more feeble by the second, seeming to fade with every kick or punch delivered to his frame. It was at the point when Mathias was at his weakest that Garrett found the gall to face him, the mage noted spitefully.

The vacuous man stood triumphant above the blond and stomped on his ribs for good measure, laughing when Mathias whimpered at the resounding crack that echoed through the house. Garrett jeered and grinned when his followers joined in on the torturous mocking.

So focused was he on taunting the fallen man that he didn't notice the shorter blond had disappeared from his corner until it was too late.

Lukas lunged towards the nearest thug, punching him solidly in the throat causing the man to choke and collapse in a heaving pile. He spun around and grabbed the arm of another, twisting it around until a sharp crack was heard. The mage then shoved the screaming man on top of the thug with the injured throat, giving a self-satisfied smirk when both passed out on impact. Not to be deterred, the third and last of Garrett's followers had snuck up behind Lukas while he had been taking care of the other two.

The solid, steel-like fist barreled into the short blond's stomach, forcing him to keel over with a groan. Lukas wheezed, clawing at his midsection in a futile attempt to relieve himself of pain. He was on the defensive now, sidestepping steady punches and evading powerful kicks.

The mage froze when he felt wood at his back, already determining he had been backed into a wall. Now with nowhere to escape, Lukas glared at the man and accepted his imminent defeat. The thug advanced with a smug grin, not taking care to notice where he was walking.

The thug's gloating victory was cut short when his legs were promptly swept from under him as a barely conscious Mathias flung out his leg in a feeble attempt to bar the man's path. The man plunged to the floor with an audible thunk as his head collided with the corner of the small dinning table. A puddle of blood began to pool around the man's temple, rapidly expanding in size by the second.

Garrett growled and heaved Mathias up by his shirt, shaking him roughly before throwing the man back onto the floor. At this point the blond was on the verge of passing out, too far gone to be aware of his dangerous situation. His eyes rolled back in his skull as his head lolled to the side, a small stream of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Lukas nudged the body of his attacker aside, grinning ominously as he marched toward Garrett. Now that Mathias had passed out, the mage was fully permitted to use magic as an object of weaponry. The air around him began to swirl, whipping around the two men like a destructive cyclone.

Lukas turned his palms upward, enjoying the expression of unadulterated terror on Garrett's face as they began to glow. The gang leader opened his mouth to scream, only to be silenced with a wave of the mage's glowing hand.

In one swipe it was all over, Garrett's body crashed to the floor in a heap as blood spurted out of a laceration in his neck. The cut was so deep that the man's head was nearly severed, twisted to the right while the rest of his body was positioned to the left.

The howling wind had calmed until it settled to the calm atmosphere it had been before. With the aid of magic, Lukas picked up Mathias' body and placed it carefully on the couch and tended to his more risky wounds. The blond gently peeled back the man's light, cotton shirt and grudgingly marveled at the tone of Mathias' impressive abs. On the other hand, the sheer size the bruises that adorned his chest were rather stunning as well.

When he was sure the taller blond wouldn't die of blood loss, the mage lifted up his own shirt and scowled at the mottled bruise decorating his stomach. Lukas sighed and pulled the fabric back down, glancing wearily at the mess behind him.

The compact house had been trashed, furniture strewn to the far corners of the room. Once again, the mage lifted his palms as they began to glow, rearranging and replacing his host's meager belongings. He continued to fix the living space until a grumbling voice caused him to freeze and promptly drop the floating objects.

"Lukas?!"

—

 **Welp, that's a wrap! Please review, it always means so much when people do. Give me constructive criticism or any ideas on what should happen next!**


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